BOSTON -- The Celtics are back at the TD Banknorth Garden with a chance to close out the Los Angeles Lakers tonight and win their first championship since 1986.

The Celtics, however, are not likely to be at full strength. Starting center Kendrick Perkins could miss his second consecutive game with a strained left shoulder. Celtics Coach Doc Rivers is not expected to make a decision on Perkins' status until just before tipoff.

Starting guard Ray Allen is expected to start but he did not arrive in Boston until early Tuesday morning to tend to his son who became ill in Los Angeles on Sunday night.

The Celtics did not arrive in Boston until Monday at 11 p.m. because mechanical problems to their plane caused a delay from departing Los Angeles.

"We wanted to go home, but we didn't want to play,'' said Rivers after the Celtics' 103-98 loss to the Lakers in Game 5 Sunday night. "You know what I mean? But now we have to play and we've earned that right. We have Game 6 at home and that's not a bad place to be.''

The Lakers are trying to accomplish an improbable comeback. No team has come back to win a championship after trailing 3-1 in the NBA Finals.